


A New Darkness A New Deal

by RebelByrdie



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: #Black Fairy Backstory, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-08
Updated: 2016-12-08
Packaged: 2018-09-07 06:04:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8786455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RebelByrdie/pseuds/RebelByrdie
Summary: The Black Fairy favors Regina Mills from a very young age.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I blame Jaime Murray.

A New Deal  
A New Darkness

Pregnancy was the worst curse imaginable and Cora begrudged it. It had stolen her vigor, her focus and her figure. Though, all things considered she preferred being wealthy and pregnant. Things were different this time around. This time she had servants to fetch her whatever she desired. She had a large and warm manor (not a castle) that was much better than a dirty, drafty hovel attached to a creaking mill. She had a real midwife and, perhaps most importantly, she had a husband. This child was legitimate, they would be royal. They would be grateful too. 

 

Cora was still moons away from delivery, and she was ready. She was more than ready to get the whelp out of her body. She was sicker this time, and was carrying low, much lower than before. Carrying low often meant a boy, a little prince. Cora certainly hoped so, Henry didn’t seem to care, but she knew very well that Xavier would prefer a grandson over a granddaughter. 

 

She shifted again in her chair. The child was pressing on her bladder already, and if she could she would whack it on it’s tiny bottom. She set her book, a tome on magic that she had purchased from a trader from Agrabah, and started to stand. It took her a moment, which was vexing. Pregnancy was one of the worst sort of weaknesses. She had to use the chamber pot, again. 

 

Her sense of smell, keener than normal, required that the chamber pot be kept in another room so by the time she went there and came back again, something had changed.

 

A woman was perched in her chair. Not a servant, not a welcomed visitor. It was someone new, someone with a large amount of very powerful magic. Cora could feel it’s dark power from the doorway. She was slender, like a reed, and looked harmless enough. Cora was no fool, though, and looks were deceiving. 

 

“Good afternoon,Your Ladyship.”

 

She had an accent, something sharp and foreign, but attractive to the ear. She was dressed in all black. 

 

“And congratulations on the little princess.”

 

Though she knew it better, her hand went to her rounded belly. “And what makes you think it’s a girl?”

 

Cora let a small shiver of fear tingle down her spine but she kept her face as hard and smooth as stone. She knew better then to show weakness to anyone, especially someone as powerful as she suspected this woman was.

 

“Fairies are particularly in tune with children, even those that are yet to be born.”

A fairy? Cora had heard of fairies, of course. She knew that many noble and royal families had fairies as patrons. Leopold’s family, for example, was under the protection of the very powerful Blue Fairy. Xavier’s family was favored by another fairy, the yellow fairy it seemed. Cora had yet to be visited by her, which reflected poorly on her and the baby. It was very clear that many of the royal family and their fairy friend had not approved of the marriage. 

 

This woman, if she was a fairy, apparently either didn’t know that she was not among the favored, or she was here to do something about that. Cora wondered which. Either would be interesting.

 

“You aren’t the patron fairy of my husband’s family, are you?”

 

The woman tossed her dark hair and laughed. It was an ice cold sound. “Hardly. No, that little insect is elsewhere, doing whatever Reul Ghorm has ordered her to do. I am someone else.” She flicked a dark wood stick, a wand, and another chair appeared across from her own. “And I would like to chat with you.”

 

One side of Cora, the young wife with child, told her to scream for Henry or his young squire. The other side, the parts of her that had loved The Dark One and left her first born in the forest, the side that pulled gold from straw and wanted those who spited her to kneel, wanted to sit, stay and chat.

 

She sat and arranged her dress skirts around her. She flicked her own hand and a hot kettle of tea and two china cups appeared on the side table. “I am at a disadvantage, you seem to know me, but I don’t even know your name.”

 

She smiled, “I have no name as such, but I am the Black Fairy.”

 

The words made heat and ice coil in Cora’s stomach. The woman smelled of licorice, ash and a faint metallic hint, blood. “And what can I do for the Black Fairy?” 

 

She poured a cup of tea, “milk?” It was absurdly civilized and proper. Most conversations of any sort revolved around drink. They were in a Lord’s Manor so they were having tea. Had they been in a tavern, it would be ale. 

 

“No, I like my tea dark.”

 

The fairy took the cup, “Thank you.”

 

Cora poured her own tea and though she preferred to add milk (well the child seemed to prefer it) she didn’t. 

 

For a moment there was silence as they sipped their tea. “Thank you, Lady Cora. I never miss tea. That would be the height of impropriety.”

 

Cora inclined her head, still unsure of what the fairy really wanted.

 

“I want to make a deal with you.”

 

Had she read her mind, or was she just getting to the point?

 

“I understand you’ve made deals before.”

 

Now Cora raised a brow, was this the woman’s game? Blackmail from the Black Fairy? How utterly boring yet appropriate. 

 

“Do you think you can blackmail me?” 

 

Cora tried to imagine herself on a throne, looking down on the fairy, instead of in a in a small sewing room.

 

“I have dealt with Dark Ones and Kings, a simple fairy doesn’t frighten me.”

 

Dark eyes flashed and the fairy’s smile became harder, sharper, predatory. “I am no more a simple fairy then you are a simple miller’s daughter. You have plans for that little girl and I would like to see them come to fruition.” She crossed her legs, clad in tight leather pants, and placed her cup on the table. She steepled her fingers under her chin, which only drew attention to her generously displayed assets. A strange and dark jewel decorated her forehead. “She will be powerful.”

 

“She will be queen.”

 

She voiced the thoughts that she had been keeping private since she’d realized she was with child again. 

 

The fairy laughed again, “You think so small, Cora. She will not be a simple Queen. Anyone can rise to queen. You could be queen given enough magic and willpower.” She winked and if Cora hadn’t been a married woman, she would admit that it was very attractive. “Your daughter will be High Queen, one whom all others, all the so-called royals will bow to. She would wield magic so powerful that even dragons will acknowledge her. She will cross realms and even the most powerful of saviors will be powerless before her.”

 

Her eyes darted to the book, one about saviors and their effect on prophecy. Was this coincidence or was the fairy (if she was indeed a fairy) trying to trick her. All magic came with a cost. Rumplestiltskin had taught her that. Quid Pro Quo, she knew, this fairy had to want something from her.

 

“And what does this have to do with you? How does my daughter’s fate tie into yours?”

 

The woman grinned again, this time softer, less like a hunter and more like a person, “This little regina has a big destiny. I want to be her fairy godmother. It sounds a bit simple but as a fairy the fate of a godchild gives a certain level of power and respect to the fairy. Why do you think every prince or princess has a fairy godmother? Reul Ghorm has a gaggle of little royals under her watch. Eva is one of her chosen ones.”

 

Eva. Cora’s fists clenched at the very mention of the woman’s name. 

 

“As her own daughter will be. Eva and Leopold’s child stands in direct opposition to your own. By herself she will not be able to defeat one of Reul Ghorm’s chosen. With my blessing, however-”

 

Cora felt fury pumping through her, she didn’t like this. She was being baited into a corner. She had been here before, and hadn’t liked it then, and she definitely didn’t like it now.

 

“And I should just take your word that someday you may help my daughter?”

 

The fairy tilted her head, “Your little regina-to-be”

 

“Regina?” Cora shaped her mouth around the word, it sounded foreign, she didn’t recognize it.”

 

“An old name, it means queen. A child should face their destiny from birth, don’t you think?”

 

It was a powerful name, Cora had to admit. It was also beautiful, not at all like a plate shattering, she mused. 

 

“And you, Cora. I would extend my favor to you. You would be my first favored. I could help you. You desire magic, and I can teach you.” There was a swirl of smoke, as dark as pitch, and the fairy was replaced with Eva. It was as if the image of the damned woman had been plucked out of Cora’s memory.

 

“Have you ever” she even sounded like the damned woman, “to be someone else?” She smiled with Eva’s mouth and batted Eva’s eyelashes “so completely that not even their loved ones would know the difference?”

 

There was another swirl of smoke, and the scent ensnared Cora’s senses. It was powerful, pleasant, almost addictive. The fairy returned to her own shape. “You can already take hearts, but this way you can take someone’s entire self. Your wicked imagination can take this in any number of directions, I’m sure.”

 

Cora had already thought of several ways that being able to transform into someone else could be useful, profitable and help her gain more power.  
“You’ll teach me this and bless my daughter, and you get power, prestige, and unknown profits?”

 

The fairy shrugged, “Being the Fairy God Mother of the Queen of all the Known and Yet Unknown Worlds is something that I feel to be worth it, don’t you?”

 

Perhaps she wouldn’t be the queen of the worlds, but mother to the queen came with its own sort of power.

 

“And where is the contract? Where is it that I sign?”

 

The fairy’s smile grew. “No contracts here, I would just need to bless the babe.” 

 

Cora swallowed. She swallowed her fear, her anticipation, her sudden need. She nodded her head. The fairy held up her wand again, “Come closer, Cora.”

 

It was a siren’s song and she couldn’t seem to resist it. Cora rose, with none of the sluggishness or discomfort of the previous time. She took the few steps needed to close the gap between them. Then, in the blink of her eye, she was bare before the Black Fairy. Her stomach was pale and round, her belly-button had started to stretch and protrude. 

 

“Your first born was signed over to Rumpelstiltskin, but this child will be mine.”

 

The tip of her wand was cold, like ice, and it rested on the center of her stomach. Cora told herself that this was for the best. This was a deal to raise her bloodline from the dust and to the stars.

 

A sigil, a rune that was older than the kingdoms or even the kingdoms that they had succeeded, appeared on her stomach. It was black, and so cold it burnt. The fairy leaned forward and pressed her lips to Cora’s stomach just above the rune. Her lips were soft and the heat of them rushed through Cora. It was decadent, like an orgasm and heady, like strong liquor. Cora’s knees went weak and slender arms wrapped around her to hold her upright.

 

“You’ve made a very good decision today, Cora. You’ll see. This is the beginning of a new era. For you, for me and especially for her.”

 

Cora opened her mouth to respond and felt a flutter in her stomach, as if the child inside was responding.

 

“I-”

 

Smoke swirled and then she was clothed and alone. The extra chair was gone, the swirling power, and the fairy. Cora was alone with her book, as if nothing had ever happened at all. Only the scent remained: licorice, ash and blood and the memory of magic tingling through her. She looked in the window and could see her reflection. She closed her eyes and in a swirl of smoke all her own, she could see Eva staring back at her. Her face stretched in a smile. 

 

“Regina.” She held her stomach. “It means queen.” 

 

The End  
(The Beginning)


End file.
